Wrench



' F. O. GUMF'RECHT WRENCH Filed Avril 17, 1922 Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STA 'rEs PATENT FRANK o. GUMrLaEcH'r, or HELENA, MONTANA..

WRENCH.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK O. GUM- PRNCHT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewisand Clark andv State of Montana7 have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in lVrenches, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches whichinclude ar movable jaw, the primary object of the invention being toprovide means for securely retaining the, movable jawwin its adjustedposition in such a manner -that the Wrench will not lose its adjustmentby the handling or vibration thereof, exceptV when means are manuallyoperated to release 'the movable jaw for-permitting the same to be newlyadjusted.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision ofja4spring "pressed `loc-king element adapted to retain the movable.jaw inits adjusted positions,

and having means associated therewith for Aretaining the member in aposition to Apermit themovable jaw to be adjusted when deysired.

A further object of the invention' is to provide a spring pressedlocking member the jaws of the wrench inV such a manner adapted to benormally urged into engage-v ment with rotatable means for adjustingthat the rotatable element will be caused tofrictionally engage itsbearing to preclude accidental rotation. n

Still another object of the 'invention resides in the provision o-f aspecially formed means for engaging a jaw actuating worm between thethreads thereof for preventing accidental rotation of the wormwherebythe locked in adjusted positions.y

Other objects and'v advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the description andwherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts thro-ughoutthe several views Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench embodying theinvention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of a wrenchwith the invention applied thereto, and

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the wrench lock.

jaws actuated thereby ik may bevf securely Application mea April 17,1922. serial No. 553,679.

yIn the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustrationV is shown thereferred embodiment of my invention, t enumeral 4 designates the handleof a wrench of the type which I have selected for fthe purpose ofillustrating an application of they invention. This handle is providedwith a stationary jaw I5 at one end which is suitably chambered tolslidably receive therein a movable jaw 6. Therelative inner face of thisjaw which extends transversely ofthe stationary jaw 5 is equipped witha' plurality of rack teeth 7 which are adapted to pass back and forththrough an opening 8 in the vstationary jaw portion of the wrench. Thisopening extends into thebody of the wrench a substantial distance,` orifk preferred, the

opening 8 may extend entirely thro-ugh the wrench from one side thereofto the other. It will be noted thaty the opening 8 is arranged angularlyVrelative to the longitudinal axis of the handle 4, and Vpreferably at'stood in the art, 'rotation of the worm 9 causes thefmovementof themovable jaw 6` toor from the stationary jaw depending upon whichdirectionthe worm 9 is rotated.

It has been found that after the desired adn justment ofthe jaws hasbeen obtained, that very often mere continued use ofthe wrench,4

Vor accidental vibration thereof vwill `Acause partial movement of theworm'or the movable jaw, so that the original, desired adjustment of thejaws exists no longer. It is therefore the object of the presentinvention to eliminate this diiculty in wrenches of this type, and infurtherance of the object, the particular angular arrangement of theworm with respect to the longitudinal dimension of the handle isresorted to, not of necessity, but in order to obtain the bestcresultsfrom the device.

A spring pressed detent or locking member 12 is slidably mounted in anopening 13 .extending longitudinally in the handle 4,

`hawling its elongated arm arranged in alinement with the opening 13 inthe handle, .while the angular portion 17 of Athe Vslot Yis VVV,arrangedtransversely and laterally of the .Qpenii1g1'8- A' coiled spring 18 isreceived in the closed ,end of the opening 13 so that one end abuts 'theclosed end of the. opening land other .en d receives .the relative,inner end A,of Lthe spring pressed member and abuts the lateral.projection .14 thereof to normally urge the VmemberV 12 toward the.open end of the opening 13, and into vengagement vgyvith Athe wQrnrS).Thel forward .Tend 19 ,o f ,the spring pressed vmember 12 isenlarged'and flattened as seen :more clearly in Fig. 3 and furthermorecurved or arcu- .atedfso as ,to be able-to ,engage the wormrbeytweenjche threads Y10 thereof. Y Fronnthe .fQregoing description itwill be seen ,that 4when it is ,desired to adj ust .the vrelation lofthe jaws of the wrench, the linger piece 15of the detent is'engaged andmoved vaway from the jaws so that the spring pressed `detent willbeVmoved against` the tension of the coiled spring 18 and the lat- ,eral.projectionll will be disposed in the v.flllgular portion of the'bayonetslot .16.

Thus, `:the spring detent will be retained dis ,engaged from the ,wormwhile vit is being rotated to eifectthe desired adjustment be-;.tweenthe jaws. After the ladjustment has Y been obtained, vthe fingerpiece 15'is engaged vand .moved vso as to cause the lateral'projectionlel to enter the longitudinally entending portion :of `,theslot 16, whereupon the coilspring 1S will Vbe permittedto exert apigessure Qn the spring 'detent to force the .jsanfie Vforwardly sovthat the forward end 19 lofthe detent is moved to Vengage the wormbetween the threads thereof. Asthe worm i5 .disposed ,atapproximately'an .obtuse angle, `with relation to the longitudinalVaX-is ,of the handle of the uVvvrenehiit .wilLbe seen that one end ofthe Iwenn will bel forced into frictional contact with one end of theopening 8 sothat this friction willassist in preventing accidentalrotation of the worm. Furthermore, as the forward end of the Vspringdetent bears firmly against the threads Vrof the worm, this action willalso assist in preventing accidental movement of thev worm to precludeaccidental v'r-eadjfustment of the jaws kof the-wrench. Y

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings have reference to.what

might be considered vto lbe the approved Vform' I desire it .to be'under-v of my invention. stood that lI may maker changes in theconstruction, Ycombination and arrangement 'of parts, materials,dimensions, etc., tvas may prove expedient and fall within the vscope of:the `appended claims. Y

Having thus -ffu'lly .lescribed and illustrated the invention, what Iclaim Aisz-j` 1. In a wrench having/a movablejaw, a

rotatable worm journaled'in ,theavrench-for V4actuating the movable jaw,a sliding lock- Ling member having its tooth engaging Vend arcuated,extending A,diagonally `to the Y worm and spring means engaging theother end of `the locking member and adapted to force said lockingmember in automatic vengage- Vment with said WOIVJVH yto' ,prevent:rotation thereof.

2. In .a wrench having an elongated opening therein and a bayonet slotin .jcommunication with said opening, ay movable .jaw for said wrench, arotatable worm journaled rin .the r,wrench for .actuating `said movablejaw, and l.a spring pressed locking member positioned diagonally A tothe worm andy mounted in the :elongated opening of the wrench, saidlocking member having a iinger `engaging member between its ends.adapted to be placed in the bayonet Vslot ofV the opening to hold saidlocking member in inoperative position from said worm.

In testimony whereofl affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Y

FRANK zO. GUMPREGHQ Witnesses: Y j v NELLE D. LI-Dny, HUGH 'R- ADAIR..

